Now is a great time to make your holiday travel plans or think about a last-minute fall vacation since airlines and hotels are feeling the post-summer slump. Yesterday we talked about some of the best rewards cards that give you travel perks and bonuses. Today let's take a look at some ways to make the most of those miles, points, and bonuses and find some fall travel bargains.

Cruises

As the summer wanes, cruise lines are seeing a serious drop in the number of bookings across all of their liners, regardless of whether their ships are ferrying passengers off to whale watching vacations in Alaska or snorkeling vacations in the keys. Now that the kids are back to school, booking a cruise now will result in a cheaper, more couples-friendly vacation (read: fewer kids on the boat) to virtually any destination. Many cruise lines shave hundreds off of each line, including their long-haul getaways, just to make sure they book every cabin on the boat. Photo by Pete Markham.

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You can also pick up great fall discounts by booking "repositioning" cruises, where cruise lines move their ships from one port of call to another, like a cruise line that moves a boat from Caribbean cruises in the summertime to northern European cruises in the winter. That boat has to get across the Atlantic anyway-why not book cheap passage? This USA Today article has some additional cruise bargains worth checking into before booking your trip. Many travel rewards cards allow you to spend points on cruises and spend them like cash towards the purchase of your passage on a liner.

Amusement Parks

Amusement parks and theme parks are having a hard time these days. Most are cash strapped and struggling to survive, which translates into impressive and somewhat steep discounts for you. The summer spike in amusement park attendance is over, families and children are long gone, and many parks, especially ones at beaches, are still open for a few weeks before the weather gets really cold. Frommers points out this is usually the worst time for theme parks, and aggressively discounted pricing is often available. If you have a travel rewards card, its unlikely you'll be able to use miles or rewards towards your ticket to an amusement park, but if you're headed out of town to a theme park where you plan to stay, it's a good time to use hotel rewards.

Your mileage may vary depending on where you live and which parks are near you, but given that the summer rush is over and theme parks aren't getting the benefit of families with children rushing through the gates, riding all of the rides, and buying expensive food and drinks, they have to do something to draw people in. Usually they'll lower ticket prices to bring in teens and young adults looking for something fun to do. Keep an eye out for Halloween specials and late-night "haunted house" special events at regional theme parks looking to draw in fall visitors. Photo by Pete Toscano.

The Caribbean and Mexico

Temperatures are still high in the tropics, specifically places like Mexico and the Caribbean, but tourism dollars are in short supply now that the fall busy season has started in North America and Europe. As a result, if you're looking for a fall getaway, consider a beachy, sun-soaked vacation in the Bahamas, or one a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico.

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According to CNN Money, you can save up to 60% on vacation packages to the near tropics during certain weeks of the fall, especially on luxury hotels and spa-style getaways that would be out of your price range normally. The luxury resorts and hotels take the fall hit the worst, and as a consequence offer many of their spaces at steeper discounts than they would during the summer. Best of all, you don't need a travel agent or specialist to get those steep discounts-most resorts have them across the board. All you have to do it find a tropical location you've always wanted to visit and the bargains are there. Photo by Alicia0928.

Domestic Destinations

You don't have to go too far to get a good deal: would-be vacationers in the United States can find great bargains on travel packages as far as Hawaii and as near as the local bed and breakfast now that the vacation season is over. CNN Money notes that vacation packages to Hawaii have dipped significantly, and you can save even more money by sticking to Oahu as opposed to some of the farther-out resort islands. A number of resorts are offering "book four nights, get the fifth night free" bargains for would-be travelers.

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You don't have to head all the way to Hawaii to get those bargains: consider fall foliage tours in their backyards and local escapes to domestic destinations of historical or cultural importance to find bargains there as well. If you definitely have to get away, you can find fall hotel and tour bargains in cities that thrive on tourism like Las Vegas, Washington DC, and New York City. The casinos and resorts of Las Vegas are well known for offering steep fall pre-holiday discounts. Your travel rewards would be well spent on a hotel nearby and a rental car for a long road trip, but they would be spent just as well on a massive luxury suite in a posh hotel on the Vegas strip. Photo by TracyO.

Europe

Our European readers know this already, but the fall and winter inevitably mean the departure of tourists. The result is a huge opportunity if you've always wanted to visit European destinations and take in a little history and culture, or just visit friends abroad. Best of all, travel to Europe is almost always and entirely the kind of travel that rewards cards are willing to let you cash out your bonus miles or points for.

Airfares overseas are much more affordable in the fall and winter, hotel prices are lower, and lines for historic sites and monuments are much shorter. While you may have to brave colder weather, you can do a lot of sightseeing, take in a lot of culture, and with luck, find local businesses that are a bit more patient with out of towners because they don't have to deal with droves of them at one time and may be more appreciative of your visit. Frommers points out that a stronger dollar means better shopping abroad, as well. Photo by Steve Parker.

After Labor Day, there's a short window where certain kinds of travel and specific locations are super-cheap because no one's traveling ahead of the holiday season. If you book holiday travel now, you'll get to lock in some great rates, but if you book a last-minute vacation package now, take some time off, and run out of town for a few days or weeks, you're sure to find some great bargains.

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Do you have any additional pointers for fall travel bargains? Share your suggestions in the comments.